Capturing Butterflies
by Goldenstargirl
Summary: Sometimes after you catch a butterfly, you just have to let it go... Dedicated to tasty cheez, since he's been such a good friend to me.


Summary: Can a butterfly bring two people closer together? Well in my story it can!

Disclaimer: I only own Naota...and even that's only in my dreams (Sigh.) Naota: (Eye twitches.) Uh...exactly WHAT kind of dreams do you have about me? Me: Uh...let's move on with the story shall we? Naota: Hey! Me: Hope you all enjoy it.

Naota and Mamimi were hanging out together under their signature bridge, doing nothing as usual. Well... Naota was doing nothing anyway. Mamimi was trying, and failing, to take a picture of a butterfly. It just wouldn't stay still long enough for her to get a good shot.

Finally she gave up, and sat down next to Naota. As soon as she did, the butterfly flew up to her and landed on her nose. Her heart pumped with joy and she slowly reached across the ground with one hand for her camera, which she had tossed onto the grassy floor when the butterfly had flown too high for her to get a shot of any kind, and cautiously picked it up, trying to keep still as a rock.

Somehow she managed to take a decent shot of it before it flew off again, only to come back a moment later and land on Naota's nose this time. Naota nonchalantly shooed it away with his hand, only for it to fly to his head and settle down in his hair. Mamimi laughed gaily.

"Hey Nao-kun, the butterfly must really like you, huh?"

She teased, putting the picture of the bug away in her backpack.

To her surprise, instead of getting upset, Naota gave her a small grin.

"It's okay. I kind of like them. I just didn't want it hovering around my face. It's annoying."

Mamimi giggled a little.

"Well now it's in your hair. Are you okay with that?"

Before Naota could answer, the butterfly flew off of his head and away into the sky, this time for good.

When Mamimi realized that it wasn't coming back, she became sad, which was out of character for her, and took the picture of the creature out of her backpack, only to stare at it with a forlorn expression on her face.

"I miss it already Nao-kun. It went away, just like everyone else in my life does."

Naota laid a hand gently on her shoulder, which surprised her a bit since Naota usually wasn't very affectionate, and tried to reassure her that the butterfly leaving wasn't the end of the world.

"It will be alright. They'll be other, er, bugs in your life, so don't be sad."

Mamimi gave him a tiny smile and generously handed him the photo.

"Thank you Nao-kun. I think you should have this. I don't really need it anymore."

Naota was surprised, but took the picture from her. He had to ask her something though.

"Mamimi, don't you usually keep your photo's so you can look back on them as happy memories in the future? Why would you give this one away so easily?"

Mamimi bit her lip thoughfully for a second, before answering his question.

"Because I've decided that I'm going to stop trying to capture moments in life in my camera. It's better to just enjoy the moment and then let it go when it's over, than to try to keep it with you always. I mean sure I'll remember this day; it's special to me and I'll always carry it with me in my heart, but I don't need solid evidence of it's creation. All I have to do is keep it in my thoughts and I'll be happy."

All Naota could do was gawk at her when she finished.

'How in the world did she get so wise?'

Naota wondered as his shock, slowly turned into admiration for the girl next to him.

He was happy that she had finally come to that realization. But how had she...?

"How did you realize that?"

He asked, his voice allowing more than a hint of curiousity.

Mamimi took her time in answering the question, and stared down at her hands for a few minutes. Finally she lifted her head to the sky, and gazed into it's light blue depths, with a soft smile lighting up her pretty face.

"The butterfly showed me that...when he flew away..."

Her voice held a faraway tone, and she had a dreamy look in her eyes. Naota knew from exprerience that when she started to get like this,it was best not to question her further.

Still her had one more thing to say to her.

"You have really become much more mature Mamimi. And your not calling me 'Takkun anymore. I'm really grateful for that!"

He joked about the last part, and Mamimi and him laughed heartily because they were BOTH thankful for that. Naota, because the name reminded him of his brother, and Mamimi for the same reason.

Then, Mamimi said something so softly, that Naota almost missed it.

"I'm glad that your a part of my life Nao-kun."

Naota said nothing, though he could feel his cheeks burning with a slight blush.

'The same goes for you too...Mamimi...'

He thought as the two of them stared silently up at the sky, each thinking their own heart-warming thoughts about the other person that meant so much to them. 


End file.
